KENDRAPARA: As the Biju Janata Dal romps home winning 31 out of 32 Zilla Parishad (ZP) seats in panchayat elections, a major share of the success is being attributed to the role played by women self help groups (WSHG) complemented by 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in Kendrapara district.
“Seat reservation for women and importance of SHGs in almost all villages worked in favour of the BJD as the party tapped on government schemes like Mission Shakti to win their support,” said Rabindra Das, a BJD leader of Kendrapara.
District BJD president Utkal Keshari Parida too agreed. “Almost all villages here have an SHG, each having up to 20 members. The BJD backed many women SHG leaders and most of them won,” he said.
In Kendrapara district, there’s hardly a village without an SHG. Considering their large-scale presence, the entry of many office-bearers of WSHGs in the poll worked as the trump card given the support they enjoy at ground level.
SHG leader Bijayalaxmi Sahoo, who was elected as sarpanch of Batipada gram panchayat, attributed her win to employment generation for women through apiculture and bamboo crafts. “We empowered around 300 women by providing them income through Nalia grass craft and other works. As a result, SHG members supported me,” said Hemalata Sethi who won the sarpanch post in Sanamanga panchayat. Hemalata is the president of Ma Tarini SHG in Sanamanga village.
Senior BJD leader and former chairman of Kendrapara municipality Dhiren Sahoo said the BJD is the biggest sponsor of SHGs and thereby wields the maximum influence on them. This helped the party sweep the rural polls. Apart from the role of SHGs, one rupee per kg rice scheme, developmental works in rural areas and the popularity of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik contributed to the party’s performance, he added. On the other hand, BJP State Committee member Bhuban Mohan Jena said, “The Naveen Patnaik government is reaping benefits of Mission Shakti when in reality, the funds are coming from the Centre.”